Holder for rotary balls or bobbins.



F. J. LIGHTBODY.

HOLDER FOR ROTARY BALLS 0R BOBBINS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. I916.

1.215e824. Patented Feb.13,1917.

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EINITEU STATE PATENT @FFIQE.

FRANK J. LIGHTBODY, OF WATERTOVI'N, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR.T0.GAMBRIDGE NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIONOF MASSA- GHUSETTS.

HOLDER FOR ROTARY BALLS OR BOBBINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application filed April 8, 1916. Serial No. 89,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. LiGH'rBoDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at VJatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Holders forRotary Balls or Bobbins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for suspending a ball or bobbin ofcrocheting yarn from the operators wrist in such manner that thesuspended ball is rotatable to give ofi the yarn as required.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and effectiveholder, adapted to be quickly and conveniently engaged with a ball orbobbin, and with the operators wrist, and to permit free rotation of theball and prevent downward movement or displacement thereof.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 represents a side view embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the ball seat shown by Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 represents a side view of the pointguarding support shown by Fig.1, detached from the bodkin;

Fig. 4 represents a section on line 14 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 represents a section on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a modification;

Fig. 7 represents a section on line 77 of 1Fig. 6, and a plan view ofparts below said Figs. 8 and 9 represent fragmentary sectional viewsshowing other modifications.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allthe views.

In the drawings, 12 represents a bracelet preferably of theapproximately elliptical form shown by Fig. 1, the material of thebracelet being preferably cylindrical wire. The elliptical form of thebracelet enables it to be conveniently passed over the operators handand brought to a bearing on the upper side of the wrist, the bearing orof a holder line of contact between. the bracelet and wrist beinglimited to the upper side of the wrist by the elliptical form of thebracelet.

13 represents a bodkin suitably c0nnected with the bracelet andprojecting there from, the bodkin being pointed at its outer end toreadily penetrate a crochet ball 1 1, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,and the bodkin being made of cylindrical wire so that the ball isadapted to rotate freely on the non-rotating bodkin.

I prefer to connect the bodkin rigidly with the bracelet and locate thebodkin so that it is substantially in alinement with the major axis ofthe ellipse formed by the bracelet. The rigid connection of the bedkinwith the bracelet enables the latter to be used asa handle whereby thebodkin may be conveniently forced through the ball 14. The bracelet andbodkin may, if desired, be made of a single piece of wire, the portionsof the wire which meet to form one end of the elliptical bracelet beingunited by a solder joint 15.

To prevent downward displacement of the ball on the bodkin and to guardthe pointed end of the bodkin which projects through the ball, I providea point-guarding support which is detachably secured to the bodkin andis adapted to permit rotation and prevent downward movement of the ball.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown by Figs. 1 to 5inclusive, the support includes a metal tube 16 having a closed end 17and longitudinal radial slots 18 subdividing the body of the tube into aplurality of jaws which normally spring inward, as shown by Fig. 3. Whenthe outer end portion of the bodkin is forced into the tube the jawsyield outwardly to a slight extent, and maintain a firm frictional holdon the inserted portion of the bodkin.

The said support is provided with a seat preferably of greater area thanthe tube 16, said seat being adapted to bear on the under side of theball and permit its free rotation. The seat is preferably detachablefrom the tube and formed by a disk 19 preferably of sheet celluloidhaving a central hole 21 to receive the bodkin.

The tube 16 and seat 19 may be readily removed from the bodkin to permitthe insertion of the latter in the ball. After the lindrical form of theWire of which the bodkin is composed permits the ball to be freelyrotated by the pull of the yarn of which it is composed.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modification in which the seat on which theball rests is attached to the tube 16, said seat being a shell 19, whichmay have radial slots 16 forming continuations of the tube slots 16.

Fig. 8 shows another modification which includes a tube 16 which is notslotted and is formed to have a close frictional fit on the bodkin, anda seat 19 formed by the up per end of a shell attached to the tube. Asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8, the tapering upper end portion ofthe shell enters the ball to a slight extent, but not sufficiently toprevent the rotation of the ball.

The support may be a ball 19, preferably of wood, having a hole formedto receive and frictionally fit the outer end portion of the bodkin.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A ball holder comprising a bracelet, a ball-piercing bodkin projectingfrom the bracelet and rigidly attached thereto, the braceletconstituting a handle whereby the bodkin may be forced through a ball,and a point-guarding support detachably secured to the bodkin andadapted to permit rotation and prevent downward movement of the ball.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

FRANK J. LIGHTBODY.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

